


Snape's Present

by Mimm



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-08-20
Updated: 2005-08-20
Packaged: 2017-12-04 10:03:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/709526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mimm/pseuds/Mimm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus isn't fond of birthdays, but this one isn't so bad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Snape's Present

**Author's Note:**

> A birthday ficlet for Anj, with Snape, Draco _and_ cake.  
>  Thanks to Empy for taking a quick look.

_Solanum eleagnifolium,_ said the neat handwriting Severus was reading. _Digitalis purpur--_

A familiar-patterned knock on the door startled him and he gave the door a puzzled, slightly irritated glare before he looked at the clock. A few seconds past midnight. That was no time for a house-elf.

"I do not want tea, thank you," he said in a tense voice. "Nor anything else."

"But Tam is told she must."

Severus gave a sigh. "Leave it there. I will pick it up as soon as I can."

Which would be whenever he woke up and had to leave his place for breakfast. He didn't hear a sound of scurrying feet, but he knew the elf had left. He picked up the parchment he had been reading, looked for the line where he had been interrupted, and continued.

_Digitalis purpurea._

A feeling passed over him, a mild craving for black tea, but he shrugged it off.

_Juncus buf--_

Midnight. The first minutes of Saturday. He cringed when he remembered. One year older, yet none the wiser. He tried to concentrate on the parchment but found he no longer could. He left it there and looked at the door, thinking about the tea that was probably waiting for him there, then turned around and went to the cupboard where all his liquor was.

At least he didn't have classes in the morning. Even Potter had been behaving well enough to ensure that there was no need for detention.

"Happy birthday, indeed," he said to himself as he drank the whole glassful of fiery liquid with one gulp.

* * *

The first thought that passed through Severus's mind upon waking up was that his neck hurt like it hadn't been hurting in a long time. Feeling slightly disoriented, he tried to straighten himself and opened his eyes. He was looking at books upon books, which was not what he was supposed to see on a normal morning, but it explained the neck pain. He was sitting in his chair.

The neck pain changed into a sharp pain in his foot when he stepped on a broken glass. Cursing, he cast a healing charm on his foot and glared at the shards.

"Reparo," he muttered between his clenched jaws, and the glass became whole again. He flung it onto a shelf, stopping its violent flight an inch before it would have crashed against the wall and shattered again.

He wanted nothing more than to sleep through the day, and the thought became even more tempting when he looked at his untouched bed. A low growl told him his stomach disagreed and was craving for breakfast instead. The only problem was that he was in no mood for a breakfast in the Great Hall or anywhere in its vicinity.

_The house-elf,_ he thought. He should ask her to bring him something, because that was what they were supposed to do. Then he remembered the sudden midnight encounter and his last words to the elf. He had grown accustomed to Tam's habits, as irritating as they could sometimes be, and he knew that whatever she had brought to his chamber door last night would still be there. He could go pick it up.

Putting on a dark green robe, he walked to the door and opened it, looking further into the corridor. There was nobody there; not even a vague sound of muttering voices came to him. He looked down to his right, and there on the floor he saw an empty plate covered in uneven, dark crumbs. Next to the plate, he saw a boy with white-blond hair, and the boy was sitting with his face turned up, his eyes looking into Severus's and his lips covered in white and brown. There was a piece of cake left in his hand. Startled, the boy scrambled up.

"Sir, I was..." Draco started but then stopped. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to try what it tastes like. I will get you another one," he continued, now panicking slightly and looking around for something, possibly a house-elf or something similar.

Severus looked at his birthday cake, or what was left of it, and something almost like a smile appeared on his face. He felt mildly amused.

"Tell me, Draco, what are you doing in this particular part of Hogwarts at this time of the week, not to mention this time of the day? I'm sure you didn't come here only to steal and eat my birthday cake."

Draco looked mortified, then picked up the plate and put the rest of the cake on it before offering it to Severus.

"You can keep it," Severus said. "Seems you like it so I don't see why I should deprive you of the pleasure. Tell me, is it good?"

"Sir?"

"Simple enough question. Is the cake good?"

"Yes."

"Is it chocolate? Coffee? Squashed beetles in cranberry juice?"

Despite himself, Draco let out a chuckle. Then, thinking he was out of line, he composed himself quickly.

"Chocolate. I think there's whisky in it, or some other liquor."

"Ah. Pity."

"I can get you another one if you want."

"No need. Now that you seem to have found the ability to take part in a meaningful conversation, could you kindly explain why you came?"

The sight of Draco licking the cream off the side of his mouth didn't escape Severus.

"I was..."

He looked around nervously.

"Yes?"

"Well, you said that... You know, that you and I..."

He bit his lower lip and Severus knew exactly what he was trying to say, but he enjoyed the sight of a young squirming Malfoy so much that he said nothing to help him.

"You and I could what? Play chess? Go fishing?"

"No, of course not. I mean last week when I came back from home and we... well, you know. That thing."

"That thing, as you so eloquently put it, does have a word for it and it's quite apt, too. I'm sure you know what it is."

Draco nodded.

"And what is it?"

"Tuition, sir."

Now Severus laughed. "Tuition? You want me to tutor you on a Saturday morning?"

Draco was still looking around nervously every now and then, and then Severus heard it too. Someone was walking somewhere near. A house-elf, possibly, or maybe Albus coming to congratulate him for having survived yet another year without getting killed. Either way, Severus understood Draco's reaction and caution.

"Come in," he said, letting the boy walk past him before he shut the door behind them. "Tuition?"

Draco gave him a smirk. "Well, it can be educational."

At that, Severus had to smile a little. He saw Draco was still holding the plate in his hand, the hand taking up the space between the two of them.

"Unless you're going to finish that, you can put it on the desk," he said.

"Or you could eat it," Draco replied.

Severus's stomach seemed to like the idea, but the rest of him resisted. Then Draco took a bite of the cake, slowly, and all the while he was looking at Severus with a glint in his eyes.

"It's good. You'd like it."

Severus felt his resistance starting to crumble as he stared at a tiny blotch of cream on Draco's lower lip.

"Sir?" Draco asked, his voice imitating innocence.

"Oh, stop it with the politeness. Nobody can hear you here, remember?"

At that exact point in time he felt the resistance give way and he tasted the cream on Draco's lip and the salt on his skin, and there was a hint of chocolate in the kiss when Draco kissed him back. There was whisky in the cake. Definitely. Severus felt drunk already.


End file.
